Foster.




CADD GRANT O'KELLY



764 HISTORY AMERICAN NEGRO

Growing up in Raleigh, Dr. O'Kelly went to the Johnson
High School, which was at that time under the direction of
missionary teachers. Fortunately for him, the life and
example of his devoted Christian parents started him off
in the right direction. He was converted at an early age,
and identified himself with the African Methodist church.
When he aspired to a college education, the way was
so difficult that it would have dismayed a less courageous
soul. Speaking of this period, he says: "After my first
year in college, I had to work very hard, indeed, during
the summer vacations, working all day and the best part
of the night in order to make the necessary funds to meet
my college and seminary expenses. Many times I felt like
giving it up, but I did not."

When he matriculated at Lincoln University, he was
brought under good and intelligent influences which gave
tone and direction to his whole life. By hard work and
careful economy he was able to complete the course there in
1885 and three years later finished the theological course
at the same institution. He holds from Lincoln University
the A. M. and D. D. degrees and Kittrell College has con-
ferred on him the degree of Ph. D., and also the D. D. de-
gree. During his student days, Dr. O'Kelly was active in
college athletics. He has kept up his interest in athletic
matters and has for thirty years been in close touch with
the boys being today Secretary of the North Carolina Inter-
scholastic Athletic Association.

Few men in the educational life of the State have ren-
dered more faithful or efficient service than has Dr. O'Kelly.
From the time of his own graduation up to the present he
has been continuously identified with leading institutions.
Speaking of his work as a teacher, he says : "I went direct
from Lincoln University to Kittrell College as a teacher, and
remained with that institution for seven years, going in
1895 to Winston-Salem to teach in the Slater State Nor-
mal School. In 1896 I was recalled to Kittrell to accept
the principalship of that college. In 1898 I went back to
Slater as professor of English, Bible and Music. In 1904



NORTH CAROLINA EDITION 765

I was elected principal of the Slater Normal, which posi-
tion I held until 1911, resigning to accept the vice-presi-
dency of the National Training School at Durham. In 1912
I was called to the presidency of Kittrell College and served
in that capacity for five years, returning to the National
Training School in 1917 as Dean of that institution, where
I now labor."

Dr. O'Kelly has been married twice. His first mar-
riage was in 1900 to Miss Corrinne L. Gibson, a daughter
of John and Annie Gibson. She passed away in 1903. On
August 4, 1905, he was married to Miss Cora A. Bass, a
daughter of Ransom and Caroline Bass. Of the three chil-
dren born to him, two survive. They are Corinne Gibson
and Ruth Estelle O'Kelly.

In the years of his teaching, Dr. O'Kelly has touched
the lives of a large number of young people who are today
found in various places as high-class teachers, successful
business and professional men and worthy citizens of the
State. He is at once sympathetic and forceful, and has a
way of inspiring the boys and girls coming under his tui-
tion to do their best. His favorite reading is history and
philosophy. He asks neither for himself nor his people
any special favors, but only that they be given a man's
chance, just as any other American citizen.



Edward Duffy O'Neil



The North Carolina Mutual Insurance Company has
built up a working force in the Old North State which, for
loyalty, aggressiveness and those qualities which go to make
for success, are unsurpassed by any other Negro organi-
zation in the State, business, educational or religious. Of
this force must be mentioned Edward Duffy O'Neil, the Su-
perintendent of the Greensboro District. He comes from
further west in the State, having been born in Burke Co.
on August 10, 1870. His father, Jason D. O'Neil, was a




EDWARD DUFFY O'NEIL



NORTH CAROLINA EDITION 767

farmer, and the son grew up on the farm and learned to do
all sorts of outdoor work. His mother, before her mar-
riage, was Minerva Hardin. She was the daughter of Jean-
ette Hardin, who lived to the remarkable old age of 108

years. ...

Our subject attended the local public schools and later
attended the High Point Normal & Industrial School. He
passed from there to Kittrell College, but conditions were
such that he did not remain to graduate. In addition to
having to earn his own way through school, he was under
the necessity of caring for an invalid mother who was un-
der the treatment of a physician for six years. Notwith-
standing the fact that he was thus handicapped he managed
to equip himself for business life and has already worked
out a large measure of success.

On September 28, 1904, Mr. O'Neil was married to Mary
Josephine Carson, a daughter of Wm. and Louisa Carson.
They have two children, Edward J. D. and Wm. W. O'Neil.
Mr. O'Neil began farming in western N. C. in 1884, fol-
lowing that work until 1889. He then turned to hotel work
in and around Asheville, where he remained until 1902.
Just as he rose from a tenant farmer to the ownership of
his own farm, so in hotel work he rose from the humblest
position to the highest which the service offered. Even at
that he felt there was something better ahead and in 1902
took up insurance work and made such progress that he
was soon placed at the head of the Greensboro District for
the N. C. Mutual, where the increasing business of his of-
fice has been satisfactory to his employers and profitable to
himself.

He has traveled well over the country east of the Mis-
sissippi and is familiar with conditions among his people.
He believes that their progress depends upon industry, hon-
esty and co-operation along all lines for the highest good.
He is not active in politics, but is a prominent member of
the A. M. E. church, of which he is a steward, and super-
intendent of the Sunday School.

Mr. O'Neil owns an attractive home and other property



768 HISTORY AMERICAN NEGRO

in North Carolina and also has investments outside the
State. He is identified with the Pythians and Odd Fel-
lows. He attributes his own success to his determination
to succeed in spite of odds. His Sunday School work re-
quires attention to the Bible and religious works, after
which he is interested in current literature.



Charles Percy Pitchford



Virginians remind one of the Jews, in that there is
not a State in the Union, and for that matter, scarcely a
nation in the world where one will not find a Virginian,
working away and always remembering in the tenderest
way the old mother State. There has been quite an inter-
change of men between North Carolina and Virginia. Many
of the strong men in the educational and religious life of
the Old North State are native Virginians, while many of
the most successful men of the Old Dominion were born
and reared in North Carolina. Among the Presbyterian
preachers of North Carolina who are natives of Virginia
must be mentioned Rev. Charles Percy Pitchford now
(1920) residing at Charlotte. Mr. Pitchford was born at
the old town of Jetersville, Va., on April 7, 1881. His fa-
ther, who still survives, is Rev. Charles Pitchford, a Baptist
minister. He was a son of Mary Hyde. The mother of
our subject, who is also still living, is Mrs. Alice (Epps)
Pitschford, a daughter of John and Anna Epps.

Mr. Pitchford speaks with reverence of the fine Chris-
tian spirit which pervaded his boyhood home and created
the atmosphere in which he grew up. Added to this was
the influence by which he was surrounded in the local
Presbyterian Parochial School. Here he came under the
tutelage of that saint of God, Miss Samantha Neal, a white
lady who gave her life to training the Negro and whose
dust mingles with theirs in the little Negro cemetery.

Under such surroundings, young Pitchford's mind




CHARLES PERCY PITCHFORD



770 HISTORY AMERICAN NEGRO

turned early to the serious matters of religion, and even be-
fore he was grown he had dedicated his life to the ministry.

He learned the blacksmith trade as a youth and later
taught school for four years in Union Co., N. C. He was
principal of the graded school at Monroe for one year. When
ready for college he matriculated at Biddle University and
completed the college course with the A. B. degree in 1904.
He then took up the theological course at the same institu-
tion, which he completed with the S. T. B. degree in 1907.
After his graduation he entered upon the active work of
the pastorate at Maxhaw, where he preached for four years.
Since that time he has served rural and small town churches
near Charlotte with increasing success. He is a man of
good business ability as well as a preacher of power.

His property interests are at Charlotte. While not act-
ive in politics, he is a Republican. He holds membership in
the Masons. He is making good, having but a short time
ago declined a fine position with the great Tuskegee Insti-
tute.



Auphey Thomas Price



One of the consecrated men of the Baptist ministry
in North Carolina who has been ministering to the people
in spiritual things for forty years is Rev. Auphey Thomas
Price of Raleigh. He was born in Wake Co. April 23, 1857,
and has spent his life among the people who were his neigh-
bors and friends as a boy. His father, Bridges Price, was a
blacksmith and a farmer and was the son of Benjamin and
Ferebee Price. His mother was Dilsy Price and she was the
daughter of Caesar King and Ruthy Price. Coming of
school age before emancipation, young Price, of course, had
no educational opportunity until after the war, the closing
scenes of which he remembers very distinctly. His first
schooling was in the public schools of Wake Co. After that
he went to the State Normal School at Franklinton and




AUPHEY THOMAS PRICE



772 HISTORY AMERICAN NEGRO

later still attended Shaw University one term. He taught
school for two years, but it is as a minister of the Gospel
that he is best known. He was converted when a mere
child, before he was ten years of age. Very early in life
he felt called to preach. In fact the feeling that he was
to be a preacher goes back almost as far as he can remem-
ber. In 1879 he was licensed to preach by the Woodland
Baptist church and for forty years has been proclaiming
the Gospel. He was ordained to the full work of the min-
istry by the same church in 1883. His first regular pastor-
ate was the church at Lee Cross Roads, which he pastored
for eight years. The. house was repaired and the member-
ship strengthened. He has served Pleasant Grove thirty-
two years altogether. ' A new church edifice has been built
here and at least two hundred new members have been
added. Other congregations which he has served include
Woodland four years, Good Hope three years, Jones Hill
four years, Poplar Springs five years, Spring Hill four
years, Martin Street, Raleigh, nine years; Fayetteville
Street two years, Wall's Chapel four years, Baptist Grove,
one year, St. Amanda four years, Juniper Level ten years,
and Wakefield eleven years. At many of these places im-
provement has been made in the church property. At all
of them he has worked faithfully and many new members
have been added to the church through his ministry. He
has lived to see the children and even the grandchildren
of some of those who first yielded to his preaching come
into the church of their fathers. He now (1920) pastors
Juniper Level, Good Hope, St. Amanda and Pleasant Grove
with a total membership of nearly a thousand.

Being brought up on the farm, Rev. Price has never
been quite able to get away from it. He owns a comforta-
ble home on the outskirts of Raleigh, and still farms in a
small way. He is a member of the executive board of the
Wake Association and is identified with the Masons and
the Knights of Gideon. He believes that the greatest sin-
gle need of the race is the right sort of education.

Rev. Price has been twice married. His first mar-



NORTH CAROLINA EDITION 773

riage was on Dec. 17, 1883, to Miss Susie Fowler of Wake
Co. She bore him the following children: Grizzy (Mrs.
Dunn), Rebecca J. (Mrs. Smith), Josephine (Mrs. Ramsey),
Lula (Mrs. Jenkins), James and Luther Price. There are
(1919) six grandchildren. On Aug. 12, 1897, Mrs. Price
was called to her reward. On March 15, 1900, Rev. Price
was married again to Miss Mary A. Rogers. Their chil-
dren are David M., Ruth L., Auphey R., Henry, Ulysses,
Ida May and Rowena Price.



William Harvey Quick



The writer knows of no other family in North Carolina
and South Carolina which, in proportion to its members, has
turned out as many successful men, or whose contribution
to the learned professions has been as large as that of
the Quick family. Here we tell the story of one of the
most brilliant and distinguished members of the family, Mr.
William Harvey Quick, L.L. B., attorney at law, Sanford,
N. C. He is a native of Richmond Co., having been born
near the town of Rockingham on Nov. 14, 1856. So it will
be seen that he was a boy nearly nine years old before eman-
cipation became an accomplished fact, and of course, had no
schooling until after the war. His father, John Quick, was
a carpenter by trade, but as he passed away when our sub-
ject was only five years of age, the boy was deprived of a
father's care and guidance. The mother, before her mar-
riage, was Miss Elizabeth Covington, a skillful seamstress,
upon whose death, Sept. 27th, 1907, he wrote a lengthy,
beautiful memoriam, brilliant with love and affection.

As a boy and through all his life, Mr. Quick has sought
to live up to the Bible injunction, "Honor thy father and
thy mother." Mr. Quick's paternal grandparents were
Roger and Harriet Quick. They were known as intelligent,
industrious, honest and devoted Christians.

On April 22, 1880, Mr. Quick and Miss Sallie E. Morse,




WILLIAM HARVEY QUICK



NORTH CAROLINA EDITION 775

a daughter of Adam and Bettie Morse were united in matri-
mony. Two sons were born to this union, Dr. F. D. Quick
of Rockingham, a story of whose life is to be found else-
where in this volume, and Rev. A. E. Quick, a successful
carpenter and rising young minister of Sanford.

At an early age young Quick developed a taste for
books which he has never outgrown.

He made the most of the local public schools and when
eighteen matriculated at Shaw University. As a student he
was popular with both the faculty and with his fellows on
the campus. As he grew to maturity he was drawn to the
law as a profession — that profession which "is as ancient
as magistracy, noble as virtue, and necessary as justice."
The way for the colored lawyer was uncharted. He was a
pioneer. After considerable desultory reading he entered
the law office of Hon. J. S. Leary of Fayetteville. From
that time forward his progress was rapid. His keen intel-
lect and logical mind found in the law just the stimulus the
young man needed to bring out the best there was in him.
On Feb. 5, 1884, he was admitted to the bar and has
since been in the active practice. The bar soon came to
respect his ability as a lawyer while his bearing as a man
and the orderly, dignified conduct of his cases won for him
the repeated compliments of the bench. He is careful, in-
dustrious and painstaking. He makes sure of the facts and
the law in a case and depends on his presentation of these
to win. His clientage is by no means limited to his own
race, nor is it at all unusual for him to be associated with
white counsel Amidst his strenuous, forensic life, he pru-
dently adopted, as his rule and guide, the safe principle
found in the following poetic lines :

"To virtue and her friends a friend,

Still may my voice the weak defend,

And never prostitute my tongue

By protecting the villain in his wrong,

Nor wrest the spirit of the laws

To sanctify the villain's cause."



/



776 HISTORY AMERICAN NEGRO

He is a ready and forceful speaker and holds his own be-
fore a jury. He has an exhaustive vocabulary gained
through wide reading and has frequently been heard with
pleasure in a number of popular lectures relating to vital
questions among his people.

Mr. Quick has also made his mark as writer. In 1879
he began the publication of the Advance, which grew to
considerable proportions, and reflected the brilliance of its
editor. His most ambitious literary work is a handsome
biographical work of nearly five hundred pages, published
in 1897 under the title of "Negro Stars in all Ages of the
World."

Mr. Quick has for many years been a prominent figure
in the councils of the Republican party. As early as 1876
he was a good campaigner. In 1891 he was appointed
notary public by Gov. Holt and in 1900 was appointed to
the same place again by Gov. Russell, and again and again
by the successive governors of the State. In 1897 he was
appointed assistant enrolling clerk of the General Assembly,
which he filled with satisfaction to that body and credit to
himself. Special very flattering references were made to
him by the Secretary of State.

Mr. Quick is an active member of the A. M. E. Zion
church and seeks to carry out in his daily life those princi-
ples set forth by the great Head of the Church. Among
the secret orders he is identified with the Pythians and
Good Samaritans.

Mention must be made of Mr. Quick's work as a teacher.
When a young man he taught for a while and many of the
boys and girls of that day are now mature men and
women and have always been his loyal friends and ardent
supporters. Many of these are enjoying lucrative patron-
age and practice in the various learned professions of today
and recall, with pleasure and gratitude, their fond school
day associations with their beloved instructor.



John Kenneth Ramsay



Rev. John Kenneth Ramsay, D. D., of Warrenton, is
one of the distinguished Baptist ministers in upper North
Carolina. He was born at Jackson just after the war,
August 2, 1866. His parents had both been slaves and his
father was separated from his mother, Maria Ramsey, ow-
ing to the cruel conditions which prevailed at that time.
His mother's father was of direct African descent, and was
said to be the son of an African prince. Dr. Ramsay's pa-
ternal grandfather was a Frenchman.

Our subject was the youngest of three children. His,
mother married after the war and, contrary to the general
rule, the children found that their step-father was very
kind to them. When the boy came to school age, he went
to the public schools of Northampton Co. and later to the
Garysbury High School, where in addition to his academic
work, he also learned carpentry.

The home influences must have been good, for we find
that at the early age of twelve the boy's mind turned to
the serious matters of religion and that he was called to
preach when only sixteen. He was licensed and ordained
by the Mount Hope Baptist church at Jackson. After defi-
nitely determining that he would take up the work of the
ministry, he attended the Norfolk Mission College at Nor-
folk, Va., three years, but did not remain to graduate. In
1919, Friendship College, a Baptist Institution at Rockhill,
S. C, conferred on him the degree of D. D. in recognition
of the splendid work which he has done as minister and
teacher.

On June 26, 1888, Dr. Ramsay was married to Miss
Irene Lewis, a daughter of Frank and Julia Lewis, of Ox-
ford, N. C. They have six children: Arminous L., who has
a good position with the Borden Milk Company at Jersey
City, Willia E., principal of the school at Warren Plains;
John K., Jr., a skilful carpenter; Leonard P., a prosperous




JOHN KENNETH RAMSAY



NORTH CAROLINA EDITION 779

merchant at Warrenton and two younger girls, Gussie L.
and Irene, who are in school.

Dr. Ramsay has tried in every way possible, by leading
and by travel, to fit himself for the important work of the
ministry. He has confined his reading to the best there
- a s in literature and seeks to lead his people intelligently. He
'taught manual training in St. Paul's School at Lawrence-
ville, Va., and was for four years head of the public school
r>4- Jackson

It is as a minister of the Gospel, however, that ; Dr.
Ramsay is best known. His first pastorate was the First
Baptist church at Little Zion at Whitakers, where he re-
mained for the long term of nineteen years. He preached
at his home church, Mt. Hope, Jackson, for nine years;
Oak Grove, Garysburg, eleven years, and the Eastern Star
Baptist church at Tarboro for five years. He resigned his
work in eastern North Carolina to accept a call from the
Baptist church at Warrenton, which he has served for seven
years He has had the pleasure of bringing a large number
of members into the church, whom he has sought to train
for faithful, effective service.

Among the secret orders he is identified with the Ma-
sons, Pythians and other smaller orders. He is a Republi-
can in politics, and for some time was a justice of the peace.
While not seeking primarily to make money, he has
handled his business affairs in such a way as to accumulate
considerable property.

He believes that all our problems can be solved by the
application of practical Christianity, a,d by working out
a larger spirit of co-operation between the races.



Wyatt Columbus Redding




WYATT COLUMBUS REDDING



NORTH CAROLINA EDITION 781

1875. His father, Jesse Redding, was a farmer, and our
subject is himself a practical farmer though his principal
energies have been turned in other directions of recent
years. His mother, before her marriage, was Miss Bettie
Jones. His paternal grandparents were Anthony and Anna
Redding and his maternal grandparents were Samuel and
Nancy Jones. Both his grandfathers were Methodist min-
isters.

Mr. Redding was married in November, 1898, to Miss
Mardeacy Baker, of Kinston. They have five children : Ar-
thur L., Wyatt C, Leo M., Mattie V. and Helen R. Redding.

Young Redding went to the graded school of Kinston,
where he completed grammar grades, and instead of going
to college took private lessons from a white lady. His par-
ents were poor and it was necessary for him to work on the
farm until he grew to manhood. From his youth up he has
been guided by the principles of honesty, righteousness and
firmness and has in that way won the confidence of the
best people of both races.

Before entering upon his present work, he taught school
for a number of years and for the last eight years has
been engaged in insurance work and is now (1920) super-
intendent of the Kinston district for the North Carolina
Mutual. It is well known that they select a high order of
men for their work and to be made superintendent of a
good district is of itself a fine recommendation.

Mr. Redding is a member of the A. M. E. Zion church,
in which he has been active since his conversion. He has
devoted a great deal of time to church work as a layman
and is frequently in demand as a speaker at conventions
and religious gatherings. He has served as Sunday School
superintendent for twenty-three years, and has for twenty-
one years been a steward of his local church and superin-
tendent of his district Sunday School convention for four
years. He belongs to the Masons, Pythians and Knights
of Gideon. For the last ten years he has been one of the
supreme officers of the latter organization and is at this time
Supreme Scribe of the Knights of Gideon atached to head-



782 HISTORY AMERICAN NEGRO

quarters at Goldsboro. He was a delegate to the General
Conference of the A. M. E. Zion church at Knoxville in 1920.
Mr. Redding has acquired good real estate. He is an
easy and pleasing speaker, quiet and unassuming in manner
and a capable business man.



Andrew Jackson Rogers

In leading cities of several of the Southern States one
will find the district offices of the North Carolina Mutual
Life Insurance Company. The superintendents who are at
the head of these districts are picked men who have been
selected because of those personal and business qualifications
which best represent the policy of the great organization
with which they are identified. Almost without exception,
they are men of ability and of a progressive turn of mind.
Primarily they are insurance men, but they are also lead-
ers in the business progress and development of the race.

One such man is Andrew Jackson Rogers, Supt. of the
Raleigh district for the North Carolina Mutual Life Insur-